While You Were Sleeping
by Jess.91
Summary: Teddy Lupin never remembered his parents...but sometimes when he woke up in the night he could swear he'd felt them...just a sweet oneshot.


Well the last book seems to have inspired lots of one-shots in me, so here goes another one. Still getting over all the deaths in the book, but I kinda thought Lupin might die every since Sirius did. And when Wormtail died, I was almost certain. Still don't like it though.

While You Were Sleeping

Summary: Teddy Lupin never remembered his parents...but sometimes when he woke up in the night he could swear he'd felt them...just a sweet one-shot.

Teddy Lupin was eleven years old, and, at the moment, he had purple eyes and scarlet hair. He always made his hair red when he was at Harry's and Ginny's, or Ron and Hermione's, or any of the Weasley's, simply because most of them had red hair, and he liked to change his own to fit.

At the moment, he was at Harry's and Ginny's house, sat outside looking over the cliff at the sea below. This had been Harry and Ginny's house for as long as he remembered, and he loved the place. Not just because of the view, or the beauty of the place, but because he always felt at home there. Harry was his godfather, and had always been an important part of his life. Teddy lived with his grandmother, his mother's mum, and he was happy there, of course he was. But he spent a lot of time at Harry's, or Ron and Hermione's, and spent most Christmas's at the Weasley's house, with the huge family who always had a space for him at the table and let him fit into there family always.

He knew that they'd all known his parents, and he loved to hear them talk about them. Harry, who as a fellow orphan seemed to understand, told him stories of his parents all the time. He told them all he knew about his father as a boy, and all about the man he'd known. Harry and Ginny would describe Tonks - always Tonks, or Dora - his mother, who was a metamorphagus like him, and could barely move a few feet without knocking something over.

But no matter how many people loved him, how many families welcomed him, how many homes he could sleep safely in, there was always something missing. His parents were always missing.

He didn't remember the feel of their arms, sound of their voices, had never heard their laughter. And he ached for memories, some kind of memories.

Only, sometimes, he'd wake up in the dead of the night, sure he'd felt a hand softly stroking his cheek, felt someone gently kiss his forehead. It never scared him, just comforted him, and even though he didn't know if it was possible, he was sure it was his parents.

Harry had agreed with this, when he'd confided in him. Told him how he'd seen his own parents a couple of times. Said that "the dead we love never truly leave us".

He had photo albums. Harry had sorted out pictures years ago, and his Grandmother had mountains of pictures of his mother, from baby to adult, a little toddler with bright pink hair beaming at the camera before falling over, a grinning adult, ready to start her career as an auror, an expectant mother, with a huge belly and happiness radiating from her, with his father, looking bewildered and joyful, his arms around her.

And, his favourite, the one he carried everywhere with him. His mother, bright pink hair, laughing brightly, his father, his eyes sparkling, his face alight with happiness, and the beaming baby in their arms, smiling and waving at the camera, turquoise hair in a little tuft.

But pictures weren't the same.

He knew why they had died, and, even though he wished they hadn't, he was proud of them. They'd died fighting, helping to bring down the most evil wizard ever to dirty the world. Hero's, everyone told him. Fighting for a better world for their son.

They'd died at Hogwarts. And in a few weeks, Teddy would be going there too.

He was excited, to be going to the school of magic, to learn to be a real wizard with a wand and everything. But at the same time, he wasn't sure if he could face it, face walking into the grounds that claimed his parents' lives, walking through the last doors they'd ever passed through.

He stood, looking out at the sea, lost in thought and didn't hear Ginny walk up to him, didn't know she was there until she touched his arm. He jumped, turned to her.

"What's wrong?" She asked softly. He knew there was no point pretending, that she knew him too well, and had a knack for making people talk to her.

"I don't know if I can go to Hogwarts." He whispered.

"Why?" She didn't sound surprised, only sympathetic, and he thought she might have been expecting him to say this.

"That's where they died." He murmured. She hugged him, like a mother. It helped. Maybe it should have made it worse to be hugged like a son when he had no mother, but it helped.

"You don't have to go if you don't want to." She murmured.

"Do you think I should, though?" He asked, drawing back. She actually thought about it, considered. He liked that.

"I think you should. I think your parents would have wanted you to. It's an amazing place, Teddy. Nowhere in the world like it. And it is sad, walking down the halls knowing that you lost people there, but at the same time...something about the place, it lets you know they're at peace. I lost my brother there." She murmured. He already knew this, but he didn't speak. "I could have lost my whole family. I lost my brother, and your parents were like a part of my family, too. Your mother was one of my best friends. I went back to school for my last year after they died, and at first whenever I walked into the great hall I remembered seeing their bodies. But after a while...it does get easier."

"I don't remember them though."

"No, you don't. And that sucks." She smiled sadly at him. "But you know when I look at you? I can see both of them. You're their son, a part of them, and even though you don't remember, you know them. Your heart knows them."

"If...If I go to Hogwarts and don't like it, could I come home?"

"Of course you can. Anytime you want. And don't forget, no matter what, Harry and I are only an owl away." She hugged him again, looked towards the house where Harry stood, watching. And smiled at him.

"Remember, Teddy." Ginny murmured when they broke away and started back towards the house. "You always have family, always have a place here."

--

Teddy lay in bed on the night before he was going to Hogwarts. He knew that Harry and Ginny, Ron and Hermione his grandmother, and possibly more, were going to be at King's cross the next day, were going to be there to say goodbye.

But it just made him think, even more, about the people who should be there. They should be there, waving him off, hugging him goodbye. Maybe his mum would have cried as the train pulled out. He'd never know.

He dropped into an exhausted sleep, and never saw them appear.

Remus looked nervous; Tonks sad.

"We'll have to make it quick, Dora." Remus whispered. "We're not supposed to be here."

"I don't care." She whispered. "I don't care about the rules. He's our son."

"I know." Hand in hand, they crossed to the bed, looked down at the boy. He had turquoise hair tonight, because that's what he'd had in his favourite picture. Gently, Tonks reached out and brushed it out of his eyes.

"He's almost all grown up." Remus said quietly.

"I wish we could be there with him tomorrow." Tonks replied. "I wish I could talk to him."

"I know." Remus murmured, stroking his son's face.

"Do you think he knows we're looking out for him?" Tonks asked. She asked the question every time they visited, but Remus answered it anyway.

"I think he does. You heard what he told Harry."

"It's good that he knows." Tonks murmured. She was crying now.

Teddy stirred.

"We better go." Tonks murmured, and Remus nodded. Tonks kissed the boys forehead, Remus touched his hand. Then they stepped away from the bed, Remus put his arm around Tonks.

"We love you." They said as one, then faded away.

By the time Teddy opened his eyes, even the faint silver glow left behind had faded. But he was sure, sure it hadn't been a dream. He'd heard them, felt them. He just couldn't open his eyes. But he was certain they'd been there.

"I love you too." He murmured, then rolled over, and fell asleep again.


End file.
